"Man loves company even if only that of a small burning candle."
--Georg Cruztoph Lichtenberg
"They must have escaped," Marya said leading them downstairs to breakfast. She had arrived that morning bearing different clothes—silk shirts and sturdy woolen pants—and leather boots. She turned her back as they changed and nodded approval once they were dressed. She looked different today in a green silk dress, her long black hair framing her fox-thin features. Today she looked more like a handmaiden to the Princess than she did the day before.
"What do you mean?" Jess asked, pacing her.
"They showed up last night—late, and as naked as they were born," she continued. She hitched up her skirts as they moved down the stairs. "The Royal Guard took them in and took them to the infirmary. I spoke with our Wise Woman this morning and she said they were fine save for bruises and being near exhausted. She said they didn't say much, but she gave them a sleeping draught. I'll take you to see them after breakfast."
"How did they--?" Cruz began, but Marya pushed on.
"We will send the Royal Guard after the thief you mentioned as soon as you give an account of what he looks like and such." She looked at them. "You are still interested in pursuing this thief?"
"Yes," Jess replied. She nodded and went on.
"The King and Queen also wish to meet you. I've arranged for an audience this morning where my Lady will make your introductions. Be honest and forthright with them—they are good people. They are our King and Queen, High Rulers of Therin." She led them through a door into a private dining room. There, they saw the Princess looking out a window, heart-stoppingly beautiful in a low-cut blue and white silk dress. Her long, honey-colored hair was loose about her shoulders and she smiled at them sweetly. "This morning," Marya went on, "we shall dine with my Lady, who wishes to hear how you came to our land and other tales of your adventure."
"Sure," Jess said, and they sat down to eat.
She awoke in a strange bed clad in a shift she did not remember putting on. She worried for a moment, then spotted the other boy across from her, fast asleep. She bit her lip and frowned at her weakness—why did she need this strange boy near her? She remembered being scared, and those pig-things, and him getting hit with a spear. Something had happened. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and looked around. The other boy—Matt—was there too. She stood up and walked on bare feet to the bed across from her to look down on the longhaired boy lying there.
She took his hand in hers and squeezed it softly. He was not her boyfriend. She did not have one of those—her father would never allow it. But she had run away from home, away from her father. She was stuck here, wherever this was, with no way to get home. She missed home already. But at least she was in good company. She was glad she met these wild boys, especially this wild boy.
He was strange, to be sure. His wild sense of humor and odd antics had once made her think he was on drugs. She was surprised to find he was not—he was just odd naturally. He was always nice to her—in fact, she was sure he had had a crush on her. And she had nearly killed him two days ago. When he had grabbed her in the woods, she nearly split his skull with a rock. There were still deep purple bruises on the side of his face.
But he had laughed it off. And did his best to make her laugh. Trapped in another world and he kept her laughing. She was not really surprised at her reaction toward him when those pig-men first appeared. He made her feel safe. He was taking care of his friends and his brother and he was taking care of her. He had no reason to, but he did. How could she not like that? How could she not at least be a little attracted to that?
And she had to admit she was attracted. He wasn't much to look at nor would he improve her social situation. But then, that's not exactly what she was looking for, was it? She smiled over him sleeping. What would he make of her thoughts? Would he just laugh them off? No—he could be serious when he needed to. He was serious about that creep Jason making off with his insulin. She frowned, thinking about Jason. Did he do what he had done out of jealousy? She had been paying attention to Aiden the most, but that was no reason to—to try and kill him. What did he hope to accomplish? It was wicked to think of it, but she wished those pig-men had found Jason. He certainly deserved them. He—
Aiden's eyelid fluttered and opened slowly. They focused on her hand in his, traveled up his arm, and settled on her face. There was a look of momentary confusion that settled into a smile.
"Jesus," he said. "I thought I was dead. Thought I was looking at an angel." She blushed absolutely crimson at that and he laughed. "By your look and the fact that my head still hurts, I'll assume that I'm still alive."
"Do you remember how we got here?" she asked him.
"Vaguely. I remember following—no, that can't be right." He lifted the blanket and looked down at his thin, bare chest. "I remember… pain. Like I'd been run through." Annie nodded.
"A spear," she said. "I remember you took a spear in the chest."
"Not from the look of it."
"I don't remember much after that. I remember… I don't know. Weird things." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Like… like smells… or something."
"Me too. Emotions—like anger and that exhilarating feeling of freedom."
"Yes. But it's like its only half there. Like I can't quite hang on to it."
"Maybe it will come to us," he said finally. "We're here and the others should be here and we're alive. Is that what's going on?"
"Yes," she agreed and squeezed his hand. He squeezed it back and they stared moonily at each other. Behind her, Matt cleared his throat. She turned to find him squinting at them.
"I don't suppose either of you know where my glasses are?" he asked arching an eyebrow.
"Man, we're not even sure how we got here," Aiden told him. "Do you remember?"
"All I remember is feeling around in that water—or whatever it was—after you took a spear to the chest." Aiden lifted the blanket and pointed at his unblemished chest. Matt squinted and shook his head. "There's like… something… I can't quite remember."
"That's it exactly," Annie agreed. She sat down on the edge of Aiden's bed still clutching his hand.
"Well, you two obviously found each other," Matt laughed. Annie turned crimson again and released his hand, crossing her arms over her chest. "Aiden and Annie, sittin' in a tree…"
"And you're always telling ME to grow up," Aiden growled. To Annie he said: "Ignore him."
"Hey!" someone said from the doorway. They looked up to find Jess grinning at them, Cruz and Tom pushing past them, grins on their faces. They rushed in and Annie was surprised to find herself among much shoulder punching and backslapping. She sat back and grinned as they did their guy talk. Behind them, a pair of girls hovered nearby. She stood up and walked over to them.
"Hello," she said. Both girls smiled at her expectantly. "I'm Annie."
"I am Marya," the dark-haired girl said. "This is the lady Aramelle, the daughter-heir of Therin, and Princess of Berelain." The blonde girl smiled and took her proffered hand.
"Be welcome," she said. "You are well?"
"I guess," she replied. "We just don't remember how we got here."
"You were found outside the city gates. The long-haired boy carried you here."
"Did he?" she asked, smiling. Still taking care of her, apparently. They were laughing as Jess handed Matt his glasses. "Where is here, exactly?"
"The castle Berelain," Marya told her. "Your companions have told us that this is not your world. That you have come here by unknown means—oddly, they said they walked here. If it is within walking distance, we have never heard of it. Nor do we know of any way back to it." She cocked her head, thinking. "There is an avenue we could try, though it is speculative at best. This world no longer has an omniversal Majestrix, so the Ways are untended. But we could try."
"Until then," the Princess added, "you are our guests."
"Thank you," she said—it was certainly better than her first week here of stealing from farmhouses and sleeping in barns. She was already grateful for the soft bed and clean clothes she had on. Thank God they had come across nice people—and royalty, at that. When she was little, she had wanted to be a princess, now she was face to face with an actual princess. "Thank you very much."
Introductions were made for Aiden and Matt and the girls arched their eyebrows when Aiden told them how he had received the wound purpling his face. Matt, for his part, was awestruck by the Princess—but of course, he should have been. The Princess was quite possibly the most beautiful girl Annie had ever seen. All of them save for Aiden and Jess, were taken by the girl. She supposed Aiden was not staring because of his throbbing headache, but Jess did not stare because he seemed to have more interest in the other girl, Marya. Marya was pretty, too, but next to the Princess she seemed to fade into the background. Annie frowned—what must she look like? Like a ragamuffin, she supposed. She sat down next to Aiden and exchanged small talk with the two girls.
In time, the two girls made their goodbyes with promises to return, reminding the boys of their audience with the King and Queen later in the day. They said they had planned an audience earlier, but rescheduled it later to give them time to bathe and achieve a more proper appearance. The boys looked at one another and grinned, used to dirt and grime. Marya would send a man to fetch them to the Royal baths. As for Annie, Marya suggested she come with them to be properly outfitted. She followed them out, a little wide-eyed.
The bath had been luxurious, steaming water in a full-length copper tub. Marya and the Princess kept her company, telling her about Berelain and its environs. It was the Princess' question that startled her and made her drop the soap.
"You are Aiden's Lady?" she had asked. She fumbled for the soap, face burning.
"No," she said. And again: "No." She remembered when the two girls came in she had been sitting next to Aiden, clutching his hand. She blushed even harder.
"No?" the Princess repeated, grinning. "You hit him. Some cultures would take that as a sign of engagement." They were making fun of her!
"We practically just met," she said hastily. "I mean, I knew him before, but we never—I mean, I didn't really talk to him. And now we—I mean, he—I…" The girls grinned at one another.
"We must find you something to wear," the Princess said knowingly.
"Something that will make him swear his undying love," Marya grinned. Annie blushed again. "Something green to match her eyes…?"
"I know just the dress… red, with the low-cut neckline—"
"And her hair in curls—"
"And we will have a Ball tonight in your honor! A fancy-dress Ball! With dancing and music! Oh, it will be fun!"
"Yeah, fun," Annie muttered, still embarrassed.
They ushered her out of the bath with thick, fluffy towels and led her into the Princess' private chambers. There, she marveled over the ornate wall hangings and extensive wardrobe. While the girls searched for the perfect dress, she told them about her world, to which they responded in amazement. She told them of the things she took for granted and the things she was into. They asked questions to which she answered to the best of her abilities; though she felt she wasn't doing her world justice.
One of the things she noticed most was the girl's easy acceptance of other worlds. She had never given it much thought, as there was no evidence for it on her world. These girls claimed there was evidence from other worlds—as if she wasn't evidence enough. Marya showed her a small carving of a black cat with a strange script carved into its base. She said it came from a world where witches were the dominant life form. The mention of witches made her think of something else.
"Is there magic here?" she asked them.
"Yes," the Princess replied.
"I mean like magic magic. Not card tricks, but actual magic."
"Yes," the Princess reiterated. She walked over to the table and grabbed a candle. "Watch," she told her. A look of concentration passed across her face, a little sweat standing out on her forehead, and suddenly the candle's wick lit up with a tiny flame. Annie let her jaw drop in surprise.
"How did—how did you do that?" she managed.
"Magic," the Princess laughed. She blew out the candle and put it back on the table. "I cannot do much beyond lighting a candle. Mother wishes me to learn more but Father is dead set against it. It is terribly hard to manage—I don't see how some can do it so easily."
"Can you do magic?" she asked Marya. Marya blushed and turned away.
"It is forbidden," she stated simply.
"I've taught her the candle trick," the Princess explained. "Although it is forbidden."
"Could you teach me? Please?" The girls looked at one another, considering.
"I don't know if someone from your world can learn," the Princess said. She smiled warmly. "But I see no reason not to try."